Improvement in gates



R. H.'HUDGIN.

Improvement in Gates.

Patented .Iuly 2,1872,.

UNITED STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN GATES.

Specification Yformiiwig part cf Letters Patent No. 128,490, dated July 2, 1872.

To whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, ROBERT HENRY HUDGIN, of Fairfield, in the county of Kent, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Farm-Gates; and I do declare that the following isa true and accurate description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon and being a part of this specification, in which- Figure l .is a perspective view of my improved gate closed. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same, showing the position ofthe parts in the act of unlatching. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the crank which operates the latch-lever; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the lower inner end of the gate and post.

Like letters refer to like parts in each ligure.

The nature of this invention relates to the construction and hanging of a gate, so arranged that it may readily be opened and closed by the driver of a vehicle without dismounting; more simple in construction and more easily operated than those for which Letters Patent were issued to me January 24, ,1871; and an application for another allowed to me September 2S, 1871; on both of which the present invention is more particularly designed as an improvement. This invention consists in the peculiar Aconstruction and arrangement of the mechanism which latches and recloses the bolts, and in the arrangement of the various parts, as will be fully described hereinafter.

`In the drawing, A represents a gate, composed of horizontal strips a inclosed between pairs of uprights b b1 b2, the whole being securely pinned together. B is the hinge-post," to which the top of the gate is pivoted by a pintle, c. There is no lower hinge to the gate, but in lieu thereof there is nailed to each side of the lower rail a cheek-piece, d, which projects toward and abuts against the face of the post, on which there is nailed a vertical block or strip, e, which comes between the jaws of the projecting cheeks; the effect of these latter is to tilt up the outer end of the gate when swung away from the roadway, and to cause the gate, when released, to swing back across the roadway by its own gravity. D D1 are latch-bars playing between the vertical plates of the gate, the former. extending the full length of the gate. These bars are rigidly cQnnected by a cross-plate, f, at each -side of the gate, and consequently move in unison, en gaging with sockets in the latch-post G. The upper latch-bar is suspended from the strip a above it by a pair of links, g. E is alever, pivoted to the top rail of the gate, above which its upper half projects, its lower half engaging with a socket on the side of the latch-bar D, so that the latter, by it, may be withdrawn from the socket. To the strip a, above the bar D, near the inner end thereof, there is pivoted a latch-lever, F, on each side of said strip, the upper part extending nearly to the top of the gate, and their lower ends recessed to receive a pin, h, driven through said latch-bar. A plate, t, is secured across the top of the gate, just above and to the rear of the lever F, with a hole through it at each end. In line with the hinge post, and equidistant therefrom the length of the gate, are erected the standards G, in the tops of which are pivoted the short beams H, from each of which, there is suspended, by a cord or chain, I, the outer end of a pole, J, whose inner end has secured to it the metallicY crank k, the pin of which drops through the hole in the plate t', coming behind the'latch-lever. The rear ends of the beams are weighted to draw up the poles, whose gravity compels them to lie up to their standards. On their inner corners the standards have secured to them a latch-plate, l, with which engages a supplementary latch, m, one of which is secured to each side of the latch-bar D Whenever the gate is swung against either standard, the outer corner of each latch m being beveled to compel the bar D to recede when said latch m strikes the plate l, after which the bar and latch m engage in the socket formed by said plate Z, the forward movement of the suspended latch-bar D being compelled by its own gravity. Each pole J is provided with a pin, n, which comes just behind the lever E when the gate is latched open.

On approaching this gate the driver of a vehicle reaches over'and takes the end of the pole in hand, drawing it toward him, which presses the pin of the crank against the latchlever F, thereby unlatching the gate from its post; as he proceeds, he pushes the gate open by the pole until itlatches with the further standard; as he passes by, he depresses the end of the other pole by a touch of his Whipstock, which releases the gate by the pins moving` the lever F, leaving it free to swing shut and latch itself to the post C.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement of the poles J, cranks k, latch-levers F, chains I, beams H, and plates z', in connection with the post B and gate A, for unlatching the gate, substantially as described and shown.

2. The arrangement of the connected latchset forth.

ROBERT HENRY HUDGIN.

Witnesses:

H. F. EBERTs, H. S. SPRAGUE. 

